Feb. 01--Stephen Gillanders, the fourth chef-in-residence at Intro restaurant (2300 N. Lincoln Park West), is becoming a permanent resident.
Gillanders has been named executive chef and partner at Intro, and will work directly with Intro's future chefs in residence.
The move marks a change in the approach at Intro. The restaurant will continue to bring in chefs for three-month residencies, but Gillanders will add more continuity to Intro's offerings by creating a relatively stable a la carte menu for the dining room (the a la carte menus that were part of Gillanders' tour of duty proved to be very popular). Each incoming chef will create a stand-alone tasting menu, along with some a la carte offerings.
The change will allow customers more choice and familiarity by way of the a la carte menu, while still showcasing upcoming new talent (as was Intro's intent from its inception).
The first chef-in-residence under the adjusted format will be Jessica Largey, who begins Feb. 15 and will remain at Intro through May 10. Largey, formerly at Manresa restaurant in Los Gatos, CA, was last seen in Chicago on the Civic Opera House stage last May, accepting the Rising Star Chef Award from the James Beard Foundation.
Gillanders' promotion also puts the kibosh on his planned Southern California restaurant; the chef is all-in in Chicago.
Phil Vettel is a Tribune critic.
pvettel@tribpub.com
Twitter @philvettel
